Silver Linings
by xrhayne
Summary: REPOSTFORMULA #1: Hitsugaya xduty pressure–humor stress Rangiku migrainex2 overfatigue slow reflexes 1 Kurotsuchi experiment gone amok injury temporary loss of power prescription leave of absence human world vacation Kurosaki household culture shock x (Ichigo Friends) pure chaosx3 a kiss EQUALS 100 percent IchiHitsu LOVE


Disclaimers: BLEACH doesn't belong to me, never did and never will… such a sad, sad fate for me…

Title: Silver Linings

Author: xrhayne posted under ex pen name: 83rd Twilight

Genre: a little bit of everything really

Main Pairing: Ichigo Kurosaki/Toshiro Hitsugaya

Warnings: Slash. Shonen ai. Yaoi. BoyxBoy Love. MxM. Et al. If you don't like reading slash, then perhaps you should not go further (hit the BACK button for both our sakes) to waste your time here, and just find something else that will suit your palate. That way everyone's happy. Also some scenes and language not suitable for children…

Summary:

FORMULA #1: Hitsugaya x duty pressure – humor equals stress + Rangiku equals migraine + overfatigue equals slow reflexes + one of Kurotsuchi's experiments gone amok equals injury + temporary loss of power equals prescription + leave of absence equals vacation to human world + Kurosaki household equals culture shock x (Ichigo + Friends) equals pure chaos + a kiss EQUALS 100 percent HitsuIchi LOVE

On to the story:

Silver Linings by xrhayne

Chapter I: Hitsugaya's Worst Day part 1

Tenth Division Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya leaned back on his chair and stretched his stiff, numbing limbs. It's been seven hours since he started working on the high stack of various papers atop his desk and he is only about a third through for the day. His fingers ached from all the writing and signing that he had to do, while his eyes are strained and red from reading all types of scripts- from formal prints to neat penmanship to irregular semi-legible scrawls to the downright pathetic excuses of what some had the stomach to call handwriting. This day has been proving to be more and more tiring, not to mention very trying, as it progressed. He's been labouring assiduously for the last seven weeks for goodness sakes!

Inadequate rest, skipping meals, too much work, lazy subordinates that threaten his sanity, unnecessary stress, intensive training, spur-of-the-moment problems with madmen who have superiority conflicts, being treated as a child, getting wrinkles at his age… for the millionth time Toshiro questioned why he deemed it necessary to subject himself to this torture.

Take today for example.

This morning, the white-haired captain woke up from an uneasy three hour sleep (coz he worked overtime again) to prepare for a two-hour patrol at the west quadrant at sunrise. During his watch, he had to break up an escalating fight that broke out between some drunken shinigamis and chastising the perpetrators before reminding himself to write a report about it. Tired and sleepy he went back to get some breakfast scowling and muttering about intoxicated idiots not noticing a puddle of mud (it rained the night before) that caused him to land sorely on his bottom and thus ruining his uniform. The usually prim captain detoured to his rooms for change of fresher clothes, all the while trying to ignore the snickers and curious stares he received. It's not everyday that one sees a captain, let alone Hitsugaya-taichou covered with drying mud, on a bright peaceful day.

He was then sidetracked on his way by a messenger telling him that Yamamoto sotaicho requests his presence immediately, giving him no choice but to see what the old man wanted in his present state. It turned out that the captain commander wanted Hitsugaya to use Hyourinmaru to freeze several boxes of sweet treats sent to Yamamoto sotaicho by a friend to prevent the sweets from spoiling and he also requested (demanded really) the captain to freeze some columns of his office to provide some coolness to the place during this hot summer day after which he was asked to personally hand several important papers to Zaraki Genpachi taicho before being reminded to make himself more presentable next time.

Gritting his teeth and armed with a murderous glare he went to see the captain of the 11th squad, whereby upon reaching the door, he was greeted by Yumichika Ayasegawa who took one look at the captain's scruffy state, raised one fine-lined eyebrow and slightly crinkled his nose in distaste.

'Your fashion statement leaves much to be desired today, taicho. It's not very becoming of you.'

The 5th seat turned and sauntered haughtily down the hallway. It took every ounce of self-control on Hitsugaya's part not to pull out Hyourinmaru and slice the dark haired shinigami into miniscule pieces.

After giving the documents to the loud, battle happy captain he was challenged to a fight which he had to refuse for a good ten minutes getting before the ever chirpy Yachiru Kusajishi entered with a cheerful greeting and several flowers in her dainty little fingers. She gave one to the disgruntled captain of the 10th and another to 'Ken-chan'. Hitsugaya obliged the little one and accepted the gift with a small (very tiny) smile… only to vow solemnly that he would never accept flowers from Yachiru ever again. He painfully realized some minutes later that the flower he was given was actually one of those flesh eating blooms that the sotaicho ordered to be exterminated… six years ago.

Some flower-free and bleeding hand moments later, he made it to his room to change into a clean uniform only to find that all but one remained in his closet. All the rest are due for laundry. And as fate would have it, the only clean uniform left was the one Rangiku gave him for his last birthday. And horror of horrors, it had some small pink flower embroidery at the edge of the sleeves courtesy of Hinamori who had thought it needed a dash of color (conveniently/deliberately forgetting that duh! Toshiro is not female).

It was also four sizes larger and about five inches longer.

'It's for when you grow up and fill out a bit more taicho.'

He vaguely remembered wanting to strangle his vice captain with the belt.

Several vein-popping moments later, he donned the robes with many a growl and gathered his laundry. He thought that he might as well drop it off some building away before heading to his office.

The sight of the well-respected Captain Hitsugaya Toshiro in oversized robes, dragging a sack of dirty clothes and wearing a mutinous glare while trudging towards the washing area was one so strange and adorable that it literally stopped the other shinigamis in their tracks. Women gushed and whispered about what a cute boy he was while some men gaped and the rest had a variety of expressions on their faces.

And in the tradition of bad luck coming in strings, the white-haired boy met everyone he dreaded of meeting at his present state of attire during his walk towards the laundry area.

First, were the trio of Hinamori Momo and the Kotetsu siblings, who were on their way back from breakfast. They made a big fuss about 'Shiro-kun looking so kawaii' which got the attention of Unohana taicho and Nanao fukutaicho who were quietly conversing nearby. The two ladies smiled at him fondly albeit with slight surprise.

A softly whistling second squad captain Soi Fong lightly bumped into him from behind before apologizing… then smirking.

'Gomen little on- oh, Hitsugaya Taicho… ah, new robes?'

Laughter came from one direction and he found Madarame Ikkaku and Renji Abarai laughing boisterously, Ayasegawa Yumichika shaking with mirth, Kira Izuru laughing softly in his hand and Hisagi Shuuhei chuckling silently. He gave them a look that could freeze hellfire which when delivered in overlarge robes doesn't have quite the usual effect. Only when twitching fingers posed to retrieve Hourinmaru did the five idiots finally gained the common sense to stop and try (really, really hard) to turn their attentions elsewhere.

Toshiro Hitsugaya brooded on how to slowly and painfully kill his vice captain as he walked. He counted to ten (then twenty) and tried (as best as his circumstance would allow) to regain as much of his tarnished dignity as he can muster.

Halfway to his destination he passed by Nemu and Mayuri Kurotsuchi taicho. Nemu politely bowed at him before whipping out a memo and began to write hurriedly. He also caught the interested look on the painted black and white face of the other captain. The look that said that the mad scientist is contemplating if he could have the younger captain as an experiment. Toshiro inwardly shuddered at the thought and walked a bit faster only to find an arm landing on his shoulder.

'Why in such a hurry Hitsugaya taicho? It's such a beautiful day.'

Kyouraku Shunsui. Oh please no…

'You look well in your robes today Hitsugaya-kun. Candy?'

Not Ukitake Taicho. That was like hitting rock bottom. Only the ground doesn't seem to want to swallow him yet.

Nodding in acknowledgment and resisting the urge to run and hide, Toshiro managed to deal out a greeting, take the offered sweet and hastily mutter, 'I have to go drop off laundry now. Good day', before hurrying away.

On his way back, it became very clear to him that it really must be "Make Hitsugaya Toshiro's Life Hell Day" as he walked by Kuchiki Byakuya, who nodded a greeting with a glimmer of questioning appraisal and maybe, just maybe, a spark of humor in his eyes.

He immediately found out the reason why. Behind the 6th division captain, was none other than the infamous substitute shingami, Ichigo Kurosaki, with Rukia, Yoruichi and the mod souls. Oh hell. The fates hate him today and wanted to leave him forever traumatized...

Oh damn, why must he be subjected to all this before breakfast?

The ladies gushed and squealed in high pitched voices. 'Look, Hitsugaya-kun's so cute!' (Ririn)

'Oh Toshiro-chan you look adorable.' (Yoruichi)

'Kawaii Hitsugaya-taichou naaa….' (Rukia)

Ichigo stared at the young captain for several seconds, noticed the embroidered sleeves and started to laugh.

Then he had the gall to say, 'Oi Toshiro, did you shrink or did you borrow those robes from Matsumoto?'

And with those words Captain Toshiro Hitsugaya finally lost his composure. He calmly made his way towards the orange-haired shinigami, a very eerie smile on his pale young face, and stomped hard on the teen's feet, before shouting.

'That's Hitsugaya-Taichou to you, bastard!'

After harshly shoving the larger man out of his path, said taichou angrily marched to his office with Kurosaki's excellent choice of expletives and Rukia's 'someone woke on the wrong side of the bed' comment ringing in his ears.

His subordinates did not know what to make of the white-haired captain when he entered the 10th Division building in such a mood. Seeing the vicious ultra-killer glare on that pale handsome face as he stormed through the corridors effectively silenced any inquiries, smirks, gushes or comments from anyone. The sound of the office door being slammed violently (making the whole building shake to its foundations) made more than a few people cringe and wary of approaching the taichou's office.

Nobody had ever seen their captain in so foul mood before. Or at least nobody who ever lived to tell about it.

Locked in his office, Toshirou brooded. This is one of those times when he rued being a captain. But then of course his work would be a bit more convenient if he actually had a useful aide to help him sort through his paperwork. Quietly bemoaning his position he sat for seven hours working through the pile of papers that never seemed to get any thinner, thinking that his day cannot get any worse.

Or maybe it could.

As the night came, it did.

End chapter

Note: As listed in my profile, I am currently organizing, retouching, reposting, and updating all my fanfics from my ex pen names: Kage-kurokawa and 83rd twilight under xrhayne.

Thanks


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